Street or station indicator for railway-gars



(No Model.) 2 Sheets'-Sheet 1. J. R. FLETCHER.

STREET 0R STATION INDIGATOR FOR RAILWAY CARS. .Nb.433,858. Patented.Aug.5,1890.

I WHZ. 2

ATTORNEY 2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. R. FLETCHER. STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR FOR RAILWAY (JARS.

Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

56 STRE ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. FLETCHER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STREET OR STATION INDICATOR FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,858, dated August 5, 1890.

Application filed September 6, 1889. Serial No. 323,212. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, JOHN R. FLETCHER, of the city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street or Station Indicators for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved street or station indicator for railway-cars; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as willbe hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

- In the drawings; Figure 1 is an end View of a car, partly broken away, provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on about line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the annunciator mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a face view of a part of the casing.

The car A may be of ordinary construction and has on its axle B a projection b, which engages one end of a lever O, which is pivoted between its ends at C to suitable brackets or supports C depending from the bottom of the car, and is provided at its end opposite that engaged by the projection b with a pawl D.

For convenience of reference I shall refer to the end of lever O, engaged by pin 7), as its inner end and to the opposite end as its outer end. The outer end of the lever is weighted, so that it will fall by gravity after it has been elevated by the engagement of the projection 19 with the inner end of the lever.

The pawl D is supported on the outer end of the lever and is arranged to engage and operate the wheel E. This pawl D is formed with two arms d d, the former being arranged to engage the wheel E, which is toothed, as shown, and the latter arm being extended back over the lever and being weighted, so that it will fall and rest upon the lever when the lever is lowered to release the arm (1 from engagement with the wheel E. The arm d is also so arranged relatively to arm d that as the lever is operated to raise the arm din engagement with the wheel E, the arm (1 also rises, and just as the arm d is at the end of its upward stroke the arm (1' strikes against the wheel E and prevents the same from turning beyond the point to whichit has been positively moved by the arm (Z of the pawl.

. Connected with the Wheel E, preferably by being secured on the same shaft, as shown, is a wheel F, which is provided with pins or projections by which to engage and positively operate a wheel G, constructed as will be presently described. The Wheel F is preferably provided with one or more lateral projections or pins f and with a radial projection or pin f On the wheel G, I provide radial projections g, which ext-end out from its rim and are in position for engagement by the pin fof wheel F, while pins g project from the side of the wheel G and are in position for engagement by the pin f. By preference the pins 9 are curved toward their outer ends, as shown.

The relative arrangement of the pins 9 and will be further referred to hereinafter. WVith this wheel G, I connect a sprocket-wheel H, which is geared bya chain I with a sprocket- Wheel J with which latter is connected a bevel-gear K, which meshes with a bevel-gear Z on the indicator-wheel L, the connection between wheel J and gear K being efiected in the construction shownby mounting both such parts rigidly upon a common shaft. I suitably inclose or incase this wheel L, and provide in the face of the casing a slot M, which exposes a segment or portion of the Wheel L, such wheel having its face inscribed in letters radiating from its center forming the names of the streets or stations on the route, arranged in the order in which they are met in making a trip, so that they will be consecutively exposed through slot M as the wheel is turned, Now, bynieans of the gearing before described, it will be seen that as the axle is revolved its projection 17 will engage the lever O, the pawl D of which will operate to turn the wheel E and through it the wheel F, which latter turns the Wheel G and with it the Wheel H, which by the chain or belt I turns the wheel .1, and with it the wheel K and the indicator-wheel, so that the turning of the axle with the movementof the car operates to turn the indicator-wheel. Now

to enable the indicator to be properly turned the pins g g onthe wheel Gare arranged with respect to the distance between the several stations or streets, so that the projections of the wheel F will engage those of the wheel G and move the latter one point for each corner or station, so as to effect a movement'of the indicator to present through the slot M the station or street next to come.

In practice I prefer to print above the slot M such words as The next station is or The next street is, to explain the purpose and render clear the meaning of the indicator.

By preference the indicator-wheel L is arranged high up in one corner of the car, so that it may be seen above the heads of persons standing in the car. It is also preferred to extend the sprocket belt or chain up within a casing formed in the corner of the car, so that such chain will not be exposed, but will be covered so that it cannot be injured or injure the passengers.

To attract attention to the indicator, it is preferred to provide an annunciator N, consisting of a small gong or bell at, having its hammer-bar 01 arranged to be engaged by pins 0, projecting from the rear side of the indicator-wheel L, which wheel is provided with one projection for each station or street, so that the exposure of the name of the street or station may be announced by astrokc of the bell.

It is manifest that my invention may be used on horse-cars, electric cars, cable cars, elevated-railway cars, or ordinary steam-cars. The whole may be thrown out of gear by a cord or suitable light chain fastened to the pawl through a hole in the projection on the outer end (I, carried high up and passed through end of car A, and connected to a button or ring on the outside, which, when pulled, slightly disengages the pawl from wheel E. This position is secured by passing the link near the button or ring over a pin.

It should be understood that the purpose of the pins f and g is to effect the desired movement of wheel H to properlv operate the indicating device for a short block wherever such a block occurs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In an indicator for passenger-cars, the combination, with the indicator and the car, of the wheel G, having pins or projections, intermediate devices between the wheel G and the indicator, whereby the movement of the said wheel will effect a movement of the indicator, the wheel F, having a pin or projection arranged to engage the pins or projections of the wheel G, and operating devices between such wheelF and the car-axle, all substantially as set forth.

2. In an indicator for passenger-cars, the combination of the car, the indicator supported therein, the wheel G, having pins or projections, devices connecting the wheel G with the indicator whereby it may operate to move the indicator, the wheel F, having a pin or projection arranged to engage those of the wheel G, a wheel E, connected with the wheel F, the lever O, pivoted between its ends to the car and having one end arranged for engagement by an operating projection, and the pawl supported on the lever and arranged to engage the wheel E, substantially as set forth.

3. In an indicator, the combination of the car having its axle provided with a pin or projection, the indicator proper, a wheel, connecting devices between said wheel and indicator, whereby the turning of the wheel eifects connecting devices between said wheel and indicator, whereby the turning of the wheel effects the operation of the indicator, the pivoted lever arranged to be engaged and operated by the projection on the car-axle, and the double-armed pawlsupported on said lever having one arm arranged to operatively engage the said toothed wheel and its other arm weighted, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as set forth.

5. The improved station-indicator herein described, comprising the indicator-wheel, the wheel G, having laterally and radially projected pins, connecting devices between said wheel and the indicator, the wheel F, having lateral and radial pins arranged to engage those of the wheel G, and devices whereby to turn said wheel F, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved indicator, substantially as described, comprising the axle having a proj ection b, the lever 0, having one end arranged for engagement by said projection, the pawl supported on the opposite end of the lever and formed with arms 61 d, the toothed wheel E,arranged for engagement by said pawl, the wheel F, connected with wheel E and having a pin or projection, the wheel G, having pins or projections arranged for engagement by the pin of Wheel F, the sprocket-wheel II, connected with wheel G, the sprocket-wheel J, the belt or chain I, connecting wheels H and J, the indicator-wheel, and gearing between the indicator-wheel and wheel J, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In an indicator, substantiallyas described, the combination of the indicator-wheel having a number of stations properly indicated thereon, devices by which to operate such indicator-wheel, an anriunciator, and pins projected from the indicator-wheel and arranged to operate the annunciator at the presentation of the name of each station, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN R. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

ISAAC WM. HINEs, 'THOS. KELL BRADFORD.

IIO 

